Personal statements can be essential for being accepted to various student programs. They are also required, along with resumes, for some job applications. For both of these reasons, knowing how to write a professional personal statement is a noteworthy skill for both college students and graduates to have.
What Is a Personal Statement?
A personal statement is a professional essay which is often used as a supplement to a resume, reference list, and other documents used for employee or program applications. Personal statements are also called a “statement of purpose” or a “personal essay.” When you see any of these terms, it is safe to assume that they are all describing the same kind of essay.
Personal statements are not an essay form of a resume; instead, personal statements are meant to be a way of describing the kind of person you are. Your priorities, goals, skills, hobbies, and personality traits should be defined in your personal statement.
A personal statement should not focus on any other subject than yourself. While you may mention what you learned in school or from other jobs, do not make that the subject of the essay. Instead, talk about how those experiences affected you as a person. Also, it should not be focused on how you are better than other candidates. This will appear as being standoffish and will hurt more than it will help.
Why Do You Need to Write a Personal Statement?
Personal statements are most often used when higher education groups or schools or businesses want to learn more about their candidates. Oftentimes, prompts are given for the personal statements so that the school or business can discover specific qualities of their candidates. By answering their specific questions, they can determine if you are the right student or employee for their group or business.
Tips for Writing Professional Personal Statements for University or Career Applications
When writing your personal essay, it is best to sound both unique and professional, no matter what position or group you are applying for. The tips below will work well for all personal statements, no matter what they are needed for.
1. Don’t Use the Same Personal Statement More than Once
Many college programs and jobs will have similar requirements, and possibly even similar questions, for their personal statements. However, it is best not to submit the same personal essay to more than one group. While you will not be accused of plagiarism for doing this, doing this prevents the essay from being as original as possible.
Instead, it is better to create a new essay for each application. While you may be able to copy and paste certain parts of the essay, like the introduction and conclusion, it is better to make most of the essay as original as possible. This will help to make sure that you are answering each group’s specific questions, rather than creating a generalized essay.
2. Write about Your Interests
Schools and potential employers want to know why you want to be associated with them. After all, they would much prefer to take on someone who is interested in what they do, rather than someone who couldn’t care less. Because of this, it is best to write about your interests that relate to the college or business.
Also, writing about how you became interested in the subject, and if you have any hobbies or accomplishments related to your interests, it is better to write those details in your paper as well. Showing that you have some experience in your related interests is sure to be a plus.
3. Write about Recent Achievements
In the same line as writing about your accomplishments which are related to your interests, it is a good idea to write about some of your other recent accomplishments as well. This shows that you are working towards your goals. Writing about graduating, the groups you are currently a part of, or promotions you earned in similar jobs are high points to discuss.
However, try not to write about accomplishments that took place years ago. For example, an employer looking to hire college graduates isn’t going to care much about any awards you earned in the high school. Write about your most recent accomplishments first, and try not to focus on anything you did in high school or that happened more than five years ago.
4. Be Unique
The more specific and unique your essay is, the more it will help you stand out from the other candidates. It is likely that your potential employer or college will have to read dozens of applications and personal statements. If your paper seems like something that anyone could have written, then they are likely to gloss over it.
Write about things only you could write about. If you have any unique job or educational experience, make sure to write it down. If you have any personal tales that will help you stand out (of course, in a good way) make sure to write them, too.
In conclusion, make sure that your personal essay, is personal. You will have to sound as unique as possible. The more you stand out, the more likely you will be accepted into your desired program or get the job of your dreams. Keep these tips in mind as you write your personal essay for your job or college application. If you follow these tips, you are sure to do well! If you have no time for writing, don’t hesitate to contact one of personal statement writing services e.g. AdvancedWriters.com which works with professionals only.